U.S President Donald Trump has confirmed that a deal for the sale of TikTok by its Chinese owner, ByteDance, is expected to be finalised before the on Wednesday, April 5, 2025, deadline.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, March 30, Trump said, “We have a lot of potential buyers. There’s tremendous interest in TikTok. I’d like to see TikTok remain alive.”
The deadline, set in January under a 2024 law, requires ByteDance to divest its U.S. TikTok operations or face a ban over national security concerns. U.S. officials fear the app’s Chinese ownership could allow Beijing to influence content and collect data from American users.
According to Reuters, private equity firm Blackstone is considering a minority investment in TikTok’s U.S. operations.
The firm is reportedly in talks to join ByteDance’s existing non-Chinese investors, including Susquehanna International Group and General Atlantic, in raising funds to acquire the business.
This group is now seen as the leading contender in the negotiations.
Last week, Trump acknowledged that China’s approval would be necessary for any sale and suggested that he might consider lowering tariffs to facilitate the deal.
Vice President JD Vance has also expressed confidence that an agreement will be reached by Wednesday, April 5, 2025.
TikTok, which has nearly half of all Americans using the platform, has faced an uncertain future since the passage of the 2024 law.
While Trump had previously suggested a possible extension of the deadline, his latest comments indicate that a resolution is imminent.
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